Musical Moments -
Play some music and everybody dances around! When the music starts students quickly identify a partner and take turns responding to the conversation prompt on display.
Think-Pair-Share -
Students reflect individually and then practice/perfect their answers with a partner before sharing in a whole group.
Vocabulary Sorting -
Students identify themes or patterns.
Cheat Sheets -
Unit preview activity; skim and skam unit and create a guide for your study.
Card-Based Brainstorming -
Introduce a topic/category/concept, either new or review material. Each individual student brainstorms on cards/post-its/scrap. Students join in groups, combine and categorize their notes. Groups take a museum walk to view other groups’ arrangements.
Cloze Song Lyrics -
Listen to a song and read the lyrics; fill in the blanks as you go!
Paired Verbal Fluency (30-60-90)
Additional learning through articulation. Students pair up, one takes role A, the other B. A speaks for certain length of time (90 seconds) on what they’ve learned. B follows with the next time interval (60 seconds), either adding to or paraphrasing what has been said. Then it is again A’s turn (30 seconds) for final remarks. Parameters of this activity are flexible: length of time intervals, increasing or decreasing intervals, nature of the response, etc. Try 90-60-45-30.
Dictation -
Students listen to the correct pronunciation of words, and record the words in writing; self-assess or peer-assess immediately following. Game variation “Dicta Dicta”.
Museum Walk -
Good way to teach by acknowledging positive examples. This is usually done with a project work. First, students brainstorm the traits of an ideal work. They also review the definition of constructive feedback. Then, students put their own work on display. They are given post-it notes on which to write feedback to their peers as they walk around the room observing each other’s work.
First Turn/Last Turn Commentary -
Students seated in a group. Individually they read a text and do their own analysis. When it’s time to share, one student begins. This student shares a major thought or understanding that she/he had. Students continue with their thoughts around the circle; no cross-talk. Then, students go around the circle again - still one person, one comment, conducted in order - this time students have the option to respond to each other’s ideas. Continued... can be scaffolded for different discussion dynamics.
The 10-2 Lecture -
10 minutes of teacher-centered instruction, 2 of student-centered review. comparing notes, responding to prompts, writing questions, etc
Stir the Classroom -
Students are in groups; they number off within their group. Question(s) are posed or prompt(s) given. Group brainstorms, develops response, records comments on the group paper. Teacher calls for some numbers to stay and some numbers to move. The shuffled members now explain the comments of their original group to the people at their new group. New discussion ensues. Continued...
Exit Card Ideas - Write one word that is most important to you about what you’ve learned (option - share words with others to make sentences) 2 things learned, 2 questions remaining Make a prediction Likes/dislikes/suggestions Complete the sentence I know... I think... I want to know...
Learning Activities
Musical Moments -
Play some music and everybody dances around! When the music starts students quickly identify a partner and take turns responding to the conversation prompt on display.
Think-Pair-Share -
Students reflect individually and then practice/perfect their answers with a partner before sharing in a whole group.
Vocabulary Sorting -
Students identify themes or patterns.
Cheat Sheets -
Unit preview activity; skim and skam unit and create a guide for your study.
Card-Based Brainstorming -
Introduce a topic/category/concept, either new or review material. Each individual student brainstorms on cards/post-its/scrap. Students join in groups, combine and categorize their notes. Groups take a museum walk to view other groups’ arrangements.
Cloze Song Lyrics -
Listen to a song and read the lyrics; fill in the blanks as you go!
Paired Verbal Fluency (30-60-90)
Additional learning through articulation. Students pair up, one takes role A, the other B. A speaks for certain length of time (90 seconds) on what they’ve learned. B follows with the next time interval (60 seconds), either adding to or paraphrasing what has been said. Then it is again A’s turn (30 seconds) for final remarks. Parameters of this activity are flexible: length of time intervals, increasing or decreasing intervals, nature of the response, etc. Try 90-60-45-30.
Dictation -
Students listen to the correct pronunciation of words, and record the words in writing; self-assess or peer-assess immediately following. Game variation “Dicta Dicta”.
Museum Walk -
Good way to teach by acknowledging positive examples. This is usually done with a project work. First, students brainstorm the traits of an ideal work. They also review the definition of constructive feedback. Then, students put their own work on display. They are given post-it notes on which to write feedback to their peers as they walk around the room observing each other’s work.
First Turn/Last Turn Commentary -
Students seated in a group. Individually they read a text and do their own analysis. When it’s time to share, one student begins. This student shares a major thought or understanding that she/he had. Students continue with their thoughts around the circle; no cross-talk. Then, students go around the circle again - still one person, one comment, conducted in order - this time students have the option to respond to each other’s ideas. Continued... can be scaffolded for different discussion dynamics.
The 10-2 Lecture -
10 minutes of teacher-centered instruction, 2 of student-centered review. comparing notes, responding to prompts, writing questions, etc
Stir the Classroom -
Students are in groups; they number off within their group. Question(s) are posed or prompt(s) given. Group brainstorms, develops response, records comments on the group paper. Teacher calls for some numbers to stay and some numbers to move. The shuffled members now explain the comments of their original group to the people at their new group. New discussion ensues. Continued...
Exit Card Ideas -
Write one word that is most important to you about what you’ve learned (option - share words with others to make sentences)
2 things learned, 2 questions remaining
Make a prediction
Likes/dislikes/suggestions
Complete the sentence
I know... I think... I want to know...